Asia Cup: ‘I would like to see Sanju Samson play, but…’ – Former India captain on Team India’s playing XI

With Shubman Gill returning to the Indian squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, the focus has shifted to India’s opening combination. Both Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma have been in excellent form, scoring freely and keeping the tempo high. However, the inclusion of Gill, who has been named vice-captain, could see one of them making way. Former India captain Ajinkya Rahane believes Gill and Abhishek are most likely to open in the tournament. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Rahane said, “Shubman is back in the team, I’m sure he is most likely to open with Abhishek Sharma. Personally, I would like to see Sanju Samson in the team because he has done really well. He is a very confident guy, a very good team man, and that is very important.” Rahane added that while Samson brings great value to the side, it is probable he might miss out. “Sanju is a great team man, but that is a very good problem to have for the team management. In my opinion, probably Sanju Samson will sit out, though as I said, I would like him to play and be in the playing XI. But Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma will open the innings for the team.” The former cricketer also highlighted his excitement about India’s pace attack. “I’m really excited to see Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh bowling together in this Asia Cup. We all know how dangerous Bumrah is. Arshdeep swings the ball both ways and can deliver both straight and wide yorkers,” Rahane explained. He further noted that the final spot in the XI will depend on conditions in Dubai. “Depending on the wicket, it will either be Varun Chakaravarthy or Harshit Rana.” Rahane’s predicted XI: Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Hardik Pandya, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy/Harshit Rana.